Cap for a container

ABSTRACT

A cap may be used in combination with a container including a dispenser. The cap may include three walls, such as an outer wall, an intermediate wall, and an inner wall. The cap may be adapted for contacting and/or frictionally engaging the dispenser. An opening such as an aperture may be provided for receiving the dispenser, and the inner wall may form a cavity of a similar size and shape as the dispenser for ensuring an effective fit.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/784,095, filed Mar. 14, 2013, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to the cap arts and more particularlyto a cap assembly for covering a container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Caps have been used for sealing and covering containers with manyapplications. In the field of containers for dispensing a substance, acap may function to at least partially seal the substance within thecontainer, may serve to protect a portion of the container, or maysimply be decorative in nature. Certain containers may include adispenser such as a pump for dispensing the substance within thecontainer. In the case of a container with a dispenser, the cap mayserve to protect the dispenser and prevent unintended activation of thedispenser through inadvertent contact. Removal of such a cap may havethe unintended consequence of activating or disturbing the dispenser,should said removal not be smooth.

Accordingly, a need is identified for a cap for covering a containerwith a dispenser that is capable of providing smooth removal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the disclosure is to provide a cap for a bottle with adispenser, wherein the cap includes a contact surface for contacting atleast a portion of the dispenser. The contact surface may providesufficient static forces such as friction between the dispenser and thecap such that a constant or controllable force is required for removingthe cap from the bottle.

In one embodiment, a cap is disclosed for use in combination with acontainer including a dispenser. The cap may include a first cap sectionwith a base, said base including an aperture. The cap may furtherinclude a second cap section at least partially inside the first capsection and supported by the base, said second cap section including aninner surface defining a cavity for receiving the dispenser, and saidchamber having a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of thedispenser. The inner surface may be adapted to contact the dispenser.Additionally, the diameter of the cavity may be substantially the sameas a diameter of the aperture.

In one aspect, the second cap section may be retained wholly within thefirst cap section. Furthermore, the base may further include a shelf forat least partially supporting the second cap section. The second capsection may be adapted to frictionally engage the dispenser. The cap mayfurther include a closed top.

In another aspect, the cap may further include a third cap section forsurrounding the first cap section. The cap may include means forattaching the first cap section to the third cap section. The first capsection, the second cap section, and the third cap section may beseparable, and each may comprise a different diameter. The first capsection, the second cap section, and the third cap section may nestconcentrically.

In a further aspect, the second cap section may comprise PE. The firstcap section may be made of a different material from the second capsection.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a cap is disclosed foruse in combination with a container including a dispenser. The cap mayinclude a first wall including a base, said base plate including anaperture and an inner shelf. It may further include a second wallsection inside the first wall section, said second wall sectionsupported by the shelf. The cap may also include a third wall sectionsurrounding the first wall section and attached to the base.

In one aspect, the second wall is removably attached to the first walland the third wall. Furthermore, the cap may be adapted to fully enclosethe dispenser.

The second wall may include an inner surface defining a cavity with adiameter substantially equal to the aperture. The diameter of the cavityand the aperture may be adapted to be substantially equal to a diameterof the dispenser.

In another aspect, the first wall, the second wall, and the third wallnest concentrically with one another. Each of the first wall and thethird wall may include a first cross-sectional shape, and the secondwall may include a second cross-sectional shape different from the firstcross-sectional shape. In one example, the first cross-sectional shapemay be a rectangle and the second cross-sectional shape may be a circle.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a cap for use incombination with a container including a dispenser. The cap includes afirst wall section including an open top and a base, said base plateincluding an aperture and an inner shelf. In addition, the cap includesa second wall section within the first wall section, said second wallsection including an inner surface defining a cavity with a diametersubstantially equal to the aperture, said inner surface adapted tocontact the dispenser, wherein the second wall section includes an opentop and is at least partially supported by the inner shelf. Furthermore,a third wall section may be included for surrounding the first wallsection, said third wall section including a closed top and wherein thethird wall section is attached to the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of a cap forming one aspect of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the cap of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 a is a cross section of an intermediate section of the cap ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the cap of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 a is a cross sectional view of the cap of FIG. 3 as viewedthrough line R-R;

FIG. 3 b is a cross sectional view of the cap of FIG. 3 as viewedthrough line 45-45;

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the contact between an outer section and anintermediate section of the cap as shown in FIG. 3 a;

FIG. 5 a is an elevational view of a bottle for use with the cap of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 5 b is an elevational view of the cap of FIG. 1 positioned on thebottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The description provided below and in regard to the figures applies toall embodiments unless noted otherwise, and features common to eachembodiment are similarly shown and numbered.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a removable cap 10 for a container is shown.The cap 10 may include a central axis, an outer surface 12 and an innersurface 14. The cap 10 may further include a lower surface 16 forcontacting or opposing an upper surface of the container.

In the disclosed embodiment, the cap 10 further includes an aperture 18for allowing access to a cavity 19 within the cap 10. The cavity 19 maybe adapted to receive at least a portion of the container being covered.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the cap 10 of FIG. 1. In thisembodiment, the cap 10 may include an outer section 20 including theouter surface 12, an intermediate section 24 that may fit inside theouter section 20, and an inner section 28 that may fit inside theintermediate section 24. Any or all of the outer section 20,intermediate section 24, and inner section 28 may be concentric with thecentral axis of the cap 10.

The cap 10 may further include means for attaching the intermediatesection 24 and the outer section 20. For example, the outer section 20may include a first fitment piece, such as receiver 22, for aligningwith a second fitment piece, such as protrusion 26, associated with theintermediate section 24. The alignment of the receiver 22 with theprotrusion 26, as shown in detail in FIG. 4, may prevent relativemovement between the outer section 20 and the intermediate section 24.The outer section 20 and/or the intermediate section 24 may eachcomprise a first material such as PET, COC, PCTA. As can be seen inFIGS. 1, 3, 3 a, and 3 b, the outer section 20 and the intermediatesection 24 may include a cross-sectional shape in the form of arectangle or square.

The inner section 28 includes the inner surface 14, which is adapted tocontact a portion of the container which is received within the cavity19 of the cap 10. In the case of a container with a dispenser, asdescribed in further detail below, the inner surface 14 may be adaptedto contact at least a portion of the dispenser.

The inner section 28 may be shaped in so as to correspond to the shapeof the aperture 18 in the cap 10. Similarly, the size of a dimension ofthe inner section 28, such as the inner diameter, may be substantiallyequal in size to the size of the aperture 18. For instance, asillustrated, the inner section 28 is circular in cross-section, so as tomatch the circular aperture 18.

The aperture 18 and inner section 28 may be shaped so as to correspondto a portion of the container which will be received within the cavity19. In the case of a bottle with a dispenser, the inner section 28 maybe dimensioned substantially equal to a dimension of the dispenser to bereceived. In the case of a dispenser with a circular cross-sectionalarea, the inner section 28 may also be circular in cross section and mayinclude a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the dispenser.The inner section 28 may be any size and shape that corresponds to asize and shape of a dispenser. The term “diameter” is not limited to aline associated with a circle, but rather may include line passingthrough the center of any shape, including an oval, any polygon such asa triangle or rectangle, or any other shape. Accordingly, any size orshape aperture 18 may be used, as may any similarly sized or shapedinner section 28 so as to correspond to a given size and/or shape of theportion of the container received within the cavity 19.

The inner section 28 may comprise a second material such as PE. In oneembodiment, the inner section 28 comprises a different material than theouter section 20 and/or the intermediate section 24.

With further reference to FIG. 2 a, intermediate section 24 may furtherinclude a flange 27 corresponding to the lower surface 16. This flange27 may extend inward to form the aperture 18. The flange 27 mayadditionally form a shelf 29 for retaining the inner section 28 withinthe intermediate section 24. In this manner, the inner section 28 may beretained relative to the intermediate section 24 upon assembly. In oneaspect, upon assembly of the cap 10, the inner section 28 may remainunfixed in position with respect to the intermediate section 24 and/orthe outer section 20. This may allow the inner section 28 to floatrelative to the intermediate section 24 and/or the outer section 20 ofthe assembled cap 10, which may allow for some misalignment ofcomponents, while maintaining fitment of the cap 10 on a container. In afurther aspect, as illustrated in FIG. 3 a, the inner section 28 mayextend axially from the shelf 29 to the outer section 20.

FIGS. 3, 3 a, and 3 b illustrate a fully assembled cap 10, including theouter section 20, the intermediate section 24, and the inner section 28.FIG. 3 is an overhead view of the cap 10, and shows that the cap 10 mayinclude a closed upper surface 11. FIG. 3 a illustrates a cross sectionof the cap 10 through line R-R of FIG. 3. As can be seen, the outersection 20, the intermediate section 24, and the inner section 28 mayinclude cross-sectional dimensions of different sizes. In addition, thesections 20, 24, 28 may nest concentrically. FIG. 3 b illustrates across section through the line 45-45 of FIG. 3. As can be seen in theillustrated embodiment, the outer section 20 and the intermediatesection 24 may include walls of a first shape, such as square, while theinner section 28 may include a wall of a second shape, such as round. Atleast the shape of the inner section 28 may correspond to the shape of aportion of the container to be inserted into cavity 19.

In regard to FIG. 5 a, a container 30 is illustrated for use with thecap 10. The container 30 may include a dispenser 32, such as a pump. Thedispenser 32 may further include an outer surface 34 for contacting theinner surface 14 of the cap 10. FIG. 5 b illustrates the cap 10 placedon the bottle 30. As can be seen, the outer surface 34 of the dispenser32 may be in direct contact with the inner surface 14 of the cap 10.This direct contact creates a static force such as friction between thedispenser 32 and the cap 10. The friction may ensure that a constant orcontrollable force is required to remove the cap 10 from the bottle 30.The sizing of the aperture 18 and the inner section 28 may bespecifically designed to correspond to the shape of the dispenser 32such that during removal of the cap 10 (and recapping the cap 10 on thecontainer 30), movement of the cap 10 is restricted to a singledirection. For instance, in the illustrated embodiment, a rounddispenser 32 that fits snugly within the inner section 28 may limitrelative movement between the container 30 and the cap 10 other than ina Y direction, as illustrated in FIG. 5 b.

While the disclosure presents certain embodiments to illustrate theinventive concepts, numerous modifications, alterations, and changes tothe described embodiments are possible without departing from the sphereand scope of the present invention, as defined herein. Accordingly, itis intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the describedembodiments, but that it has the full scope defined by the language ofthe following claims, equivalents thereof, and that which is in thepurview of the ordinarily skilled artisan upon examination of thedisclosure.

1. A cap for use in combination with a container including a dispenser,said cap comprising: a first cap section with a base, said baseincluding an aperture; and a second cap section at least partiallyinside the first cap section and supported by the base, said second capsection including an inner surface defining a cavity for receiving thedispenser, said cavity having a diameter substantially equal to adiameter of the dispenser, and said inner surface adapted to contact thedispenser; wherein the diameter of the cavity is substantially the sameas a diameter of the aperture.
 2. The cap of claim 1, wherein the secondcap section is retained wholly within the first cap section.
 3. The capof claim 1, wherein the base further includes a shelf for at leastpartially supporting the second cap section.
 4. The cap of claim 1,wherein the second cap section is adapted to frictionally engage thedispenser.
 5. The cap of claim 1, wherein the cap further includes aclosed top.
 6. The cap of claim 1, further including a third cap sectionfor surrounding the first cap section.
 7. The cap of claim 6, furtherincluding means for attaching the first cap section to the third capsection.
 8. The cap of claim 6, wherein the first cap section, thesecond cap section, and the third cap section are separable, and eachsection comprises a different diameter.
 9. The cap of claim 8, whereinthe first cap section, the second cap section, and the third cap sectionnest concentrically.
 10. The cap of claim 1, wherein the second capsection comprises PE.
 11. The cap of claim 1, wherein the first capsection is made of a different material from the second cap section. 12.A cap for use in combination with a container including a dispenser,said cap comprising: a first wall including a base, said base includingan aperture and an inner shelf; a second wall section inside the firstwall section, said second wall section supported by the shelf; and athird wall section surrounding the first wall section and attached tothe base.
 13. The cap of claim 12, wherein the second wall is removablyattached to the first wall and the third wall.
 14. The cap of claim 12,wherein the cap is adapted to fully enclose the dispenser.
 15. The capof claim 12, wherein second wall includes an inner surface defining acavity with a diameter substantially equal to the aperture.
 16. The capof claim 15, wherein the diameter of the cavity and the aperture isadapted to be substantially equal to a diameter of the dispenser. 17.The cap of claim 12, wherein the first wall, the second wall, and thethird wall nest concentrically with one another.
 18. The cap of claim12, wherein the first wall and the third wall include a firstcross-sectional shape, and wherein the second wall includes a secondcross-sectional shape different from the first cross-sectional shape.19. The cap of claim 18, wherein the first cross-sectional shape is arectangle and the second cross-sectional shape is a circle.
 20. A capfor use in combination with a container including a dispenser, said capcomprising: a first wall section including an open top and a base, saidbase including an aperture and an inner shelf; a second wall sectionwithin the first wall section, said second wall section including aninner surface defining a cavity with a diameter substantially equal tothe aperture, said inner surface adapted to contact the dispenser,wherein the second wall section includes an open top and is at leastpartially supported by the inner shelf; and a third wall section forsurrounding the first wall section, said third wall section including aclosed top and wherein the third wall section is attached to the base.